Over the past 40 years, Jim Cummins has proposed a number of highly influential theoretical concepts, including the threshold and interdependence hypotheses and the distinction between conversational fluency and academic language proficiency. In this book, he provides a personal account of how these ideas developed and he examines the credibility…

This article reports on a study that examined the effectiveness of an intervention using text messages to enhance the academic vocabulary acquisition of English language learners (ELLs). With a random control trial design, we compared students' learning gain of target vocabulary (direct effect) and its subsequent impact on academic vocabulary…

This article addresses the issue of whether TESOL should clearly articulate a set of pedagogical principles that challenge the assumption that English language teaching (ELT) should be conducted monolingually through English. This "monolingual principle" emphasizes instructional use of the target language (TL) to the exclusion of students' home…

Outlines a framework for academic language learning that highlights the importance of focusing instructionally on meaning, language, and use. Reviews research that suggests that to develop students' academic language proficiency in bilingual or trilingual contexts, instruction must focus extensively on the processing of comprehensible input.…

The state of the art of research in second language acquisition is reviewed. A framework is first established for the examination of second language learning. The concept of proficiency is addressed with respect to its theoretical basis, rating scales, formal tests, and interlanguage studies. The social context of second language acquisition is…

Responding to O. Weininger's concern about Early French Immersion (EFI) programs, the author declares that evaluations from all over Canada have shown that EFI students achieve high levels of French proficiency at no apparent academic cost. Other objections to Weininger's conclusions are also raised. (PP)

The e-Lective Language Learning System is designed to promote language learning by incorporating target-language text and a variety of first- and second-language dictionary and learning-strategy supports into a multimedia CD-ROM design. Any text in electronic form can be imported into the system. It differs from conventional computer-assisted…

The findings are presented of a study undertaken by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to assess the bilingual education services offered to limited English speaking students in three diverse communities and to study the extent to which the development of cognitive and academic skills in the native language and English are…

A study undertaken by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to assess the bilingual language and literacy education services made available by the school district to a group of Chinese American elementary school children in Seattle is the focus of a discussion on bilingual program policy formation. The role of theory in the…

This professional development kit for teachers and administrators working with English language learners (ELLs) offers three videotapes of three presentations from the 2002 NABE Conference, as well as agendas, presenter's notes, classroom activities, a list of resources, and transparencies for half-day or full-day workshops. The topics discussed…

One result of the all-time high in population mobility is that in many school systems monolingual and monocultural students are the exception rather than the rule, particularly in urban areas. This shift in demographic realities entails enormous challenges for educators and policymakers. What do teachers need to know in order to teach effectively…